Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-15
"a ROSY HAPCRTH.

"WelI, you see, a nice dry piece of meat
is better than h'under done; it looks more
on the skewer. Between two bits o nice
and dry we claps a little bit o rough, and
Odds it up on the skewer, and the custom
ers say that is something like a rosy ha'
porth, Mr.. Cats Meat Man" The hart is,
sir, TO make five ounces look as much like
'alf Il pound AZ possible. Sons men adul-
terates their meat, but don't do that un-
less meat is very scarce"
"Adulterate the meat?" ! remarked with
surprise, "why what meat is cheaper than
hOrse-tlesh?"
"Why lights is cheaper; bullOcks lights.
We buy them seven pounds for threepcnce
(six ccnts) all 'Ot and fresh. But the
trouble with lights is the cats don't like
'em. We as understand the ropes do our
best to cultivate their taste by throwing a
bit down to see if they will eat it, but cats
are getting that dainty, as 'alf of 'em
won't. If cat don't eat it OF course we
can't put none in the meat. We ave to
be very h'artful or else we should never
get on"
The man who thus addressed me was
seated ON a bench in q little back work
shop in q court not far from ShOrditch
Church. He is said to he one of the most
popular purveyOrs of cats meat in London,
aud is known among his class rs "Wag. y
He was q good natured fellow and some
thing of wit in his way. On his head he
wore n saucy billycock, and around his
throat, i'll place of the customary necker'
chief, was a collar and scarf, ornamented
with a large silver pin in imitation of Il
stirrup. His waistcoat was long, with q
double row of buttons. His manner wa
| that of the regular cockney type, with q
dash Of the artful dOdger. When | entered,
| Wag was busily engaged in making skew
ers for the next days trade. Offering hin
a cigar, which he examined carefully ii
order to be sure and light the right end.
the conversation was continued.
SIS the cats meat business q profitable
one?'
''Middling, so I think. 1t all depends
YOU see on what kind of a walk you ave
The horse slaughterers, OF knockers, as
we call 'em, have all gone into one large
company, and that has done away Will
competition, excepting with country and
foreign meat.
Then foreign meat comes into Lon
don?'
''Oh, yes. 1t comes all the way from
the North of England, Scotland, and ever
hamburg in Germany. But the foreign
and country meat don't suit the appetite
of the London cats. What they like besI
is fine old London trammers and drayers
l'Ansom cab 'Orses are not to be dispised
though the worn out and broken dowr
"'growler" is little relished by the class o
cats as | serve.
How much can you make a week."
well that again depends ON the wall
There are two 'undred, one 'undered" al
a hundred and quarter 'undred walks. 4
good 'undred pound walk ought to b.
worth four pornd a week. I have abOu'
600 cats on my walk and generally make
'underdweight go round. The meat cost
me from eight shilling (S2) to tweiy,
shillings (S3l per cwt., and | make out o
it by h'eXercising the legitimate hart o
trade six 'undred 'ansOme lOOkinI
aporths."
Don't youT customers ever complain
about short weight" I'VE ave t. b
keerfvl. Some old ladies as l serve like
their cats better than their children, ant
they will sometimes examine and evel
weigh the meat. You see we ave the hes
meat in one corner of the basket, a littl
better in the middle and the awful at tn
end. If the old lady amt about, and tn
cat is, we can run in a bit o. rough on eyel
the most fastidious on EN-. In such case